Luggaget lock



Aug. 4, 1942. R. NELSON ETAL LUGGAGE LOCK Filed May 1, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l 3mm ROBERT NELSON M512 TON fg l ffibld 2 Aug. 4, 1942. R. NELSON EIAL LUGGAGE LOCK 2 Sheets-Sheei 2 Filed May 1, 1940 m E w R [KER TON S MLL [AMS' album n,

Patented Aug. 4, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LUGGAGE LOCK necticut Application May 1, 1940, Serial No. 332,630

1 Claim.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a plan view of the lock and cooperating hasp properly mounted;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the bolt mounted on the casing with the spring in locking position;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the spring in unlocked position;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4--4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 55 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is another cross-sectional view taken along lines 6-6 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the lock casing; Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the spring; Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the bolt;

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 1 illustrating a second embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 11 is an enlarged view of Fig. 10 with the mounting plate and hasp removed;

Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines |2--l2 of Fig. 10;

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of the face plate shown in Fig. 10;

Fig. 14 is a perspective View of the bolt shown in Fig. 11;

Fig. 15 is a perspective view of the casing member shown in Fig, 11; and

Fig. 16 is a perspective view of the spring member shown in Fig. 11.

The present invention comprises generally a lock having a casing A, upon the outer surface of which is slidably mounted an escutcheon B for manually retracting into unlatched position an attached, reciprocating bolt C located within the casing, the bolt being normally urged into latched position by the action of a movable spring D. According to the present invention, the spring D has two positions of stability; in one of them it permits retraction of the bolt by means of the escutcheon and in the other locks the bolt in latching position.

Referring more specifically to the preferred embodiment of the invention comprising a lock adapted for surface mounting (see Figs. 1 through 9), the lock casing is a metal stamping having a bearing plate 10 and a peripheral wall 12 for spacing the bearing plate away from the surface on which it is mounted in order to provide a space beneath the bearing plate in which to mount the bolt C and spring D, as will be hereinafter described. Cut in the plate It, adjacent its forward edge,is a strike opening l8 having at each side edge thereof downwardly and outwardly turned L shaped lugs 20 for supporting one end of the bolt C as is hereinafter apparent. Also cut in the plate I0, adjacent its rear edge, is a large key opening 22 having at either side thereof, parallel longitudinal slots 24 for slidably mounting the escutcheon on the outer surface of the plate above the key opening 22.

More specifically, the escutcheon B is a metal stamping having a substantially rectangular face 26 and a depending peripheral wall 28, having its lower edge slidably bearing on the plate H1 and retained thereon by a pair of oppositely disposed tongue fasteners 30 depending from the wall 28 and extending through the aligned slots 24 of the plate [0. In addition, the fasteners 30 cooperate with the casing lugs 29 to slidably mount the bolt C on the under surface of the plate I 0.

To accomplish this mounting, the bolt C is an irregular metal stamping comprising a body portion 32 having a pair of forwardly extending spaced fingers 34 slidably received and retained beneath the L-shaped lugs 20. The plate is further provided with a pair of aligned apertures 36 cut in the body portion 32 adjacent the rear edge thereof through which the escutcheon fasteners 30 are inserted and thereafter peaned over to permanently slidably mount the bolt C on the plate l0. With this construc-- tion longitudinal movement of the escutcheon results in a like movement of the bolt, the forward travel of the latter being limited by the engagement of the shoulders 2| of the L-shaped lugs 20 with the upsets 35 of the fingers 34, and the rearward travel limited by the engagement of the fasteners 30 with the rear ends 25 of the slots 24; By upsetting the fingers 34 out of the plane of the body portion 32, the latter is spaced from the plate l and this spacing maintained by a pair of bearing runnners 44 extending upwardly from the side edges of the body portion 32 adjacent the rear edge thereof.

The space between the body portion 32 of the bolt and the plate Ill contains the bolt actuating spring D. In order to properly locate the spring, the bolt is provided with a pair of oppositely dis-- posed compression lugs 46 and 48 turned inwardly from a reduced central portion thereof, and to cooperate therewith, the under face of the casing is provided with oppositely disposed positioning lugs 50 and 52, the lug 52 having therein a retaining slot I.

According to the present invention the spring D acts, in one position, to retractably urge the bolt into latching position, and in another, to lock the bolt against such retraction. To accomplish this, the spring D comprises a U shaped spring wire member, having an irregular leg 54', a straight leg 56 and a connecting head portion 56. The legs of spring D are, positioned transversely of the bolt and compressed between the bolt C and the casing A by positioning the end of the irregular leg 54, adjacent the head 58, within the slot BI, and the free end thereof against the lug 50; and compressively engaging the straight leg 56 with the compression lugs 46 and 46 provided on the reduced central portion of the bolt C.

As shown in Fig. 2, when the compression lug 46 and the notched lug 52 are engaged by the spring, any force tending to urge the bolt rearwardly against the spring will be resisted by the spring at its point of engagement with lug 46. Inasmuch as the moment arm between this engagement point and the head portion 58, which may be considered as the fulcrum of the straight leg 56, is relatively short, the force necessary to bend the leg would have to be excessively large, and thus for all practical purposes, the bolt is locked in this position. In order to retain. the spring in the locking position, the irregular leg 54 is provided at its forward end with an indent 60 within which the positioning lug 50 is seated. The irregular leg 54 is further provided with an adjacent inner indent 62 within which the positioning lug 50 may be seated, as indicated in Fig. 3. When the spring is so positioned the leg 56 is no longer engaged by the compression lug 46, and inasmuch as the bolt only engages the spring D through the one compression lug 48, the bolt may be retracted against the resilient action of the spring. Obviously, the distance between the engagement point of lug 48 and the head portion 58 is sufficiently long to permit further compression of the spring by a relatively small force applied on the escutcheon and therefore permits retraction of the bolt.

In order to slide the spring D transversely of the bolt into its several positions there is provided a key E receivable within a key hole I0 cut in the escutcheon. The key is provided with bearing points I2 and I4 on its shank which may be respectively pivotally journalled in a bearing opening 16 in the bolt. and a bearing aperture I8 in the key hole ID. A cam portion 64 extends outwardly of the shank of the key and is engageable with a. largenotch 66 formed in the irregular leg 54 of the spring. Upon rotation of the key the cam 64 engages one of thewalls of the notch 66. and forces the spring transversely of the bolt into. one of its two positions. Further rotation of the key in the same direction causes the cam to disengage the notch without urging the spring beyond the desiredposition, Likewise when the key is rotated in the opposite direction the cam 64 engages the notch 66 to urge the spring into the other of its two positions and thereafter disengages without forcing the spring beyond said position.

A look made in accordance with the present invention may employ a variety of strike engaging members. In the present embodiment wherein the lock is designed for use with luggage it has been found advantageous to use the lock in conjunction with the usual pivoted hasp F which includes a plate 80, mountable on the closure member of the luggage, and having pivotally supported thereby a spring actuated pivoting tongue 82 carrying a strike loop 84 insertable within the strike opening I8. In order to latchably retain the loop 84 within the strike opening I8 the bolt C has extending from its forward end, intermediate the fingers 34, an upset latch engageable with the loop 84. It will be noted that the latch 85 has a beveled tip 88 for cooperatively engaging the rounded surface of the strike 84, so that when the spring D is in its unlocked position, the strike 84, upon being forced into the opening will cam the bolt C backwardly to allow alignment and, subsequent engagement of the latch and strike.

Referring now to Figs. 10' through 16, there is shown an embodiment of the invention wherein the lock is adapted for recess mounting, comprising generally a lock having a mounting plate H9 and an attached casing H2 within which is positioned a slidable bolt *4 and a spring II6. On the outer surface of the plate IIU there is slidably mounted an escutc'heon I- I8 attached to the bolt II4.

More specifically, the mounting plate H0 is a rectangular sheet metal stamping having rivet openings I23 at its corners for properly mounting the plate. Likewise, cut in the plate I I 0 adjacent its forward edge is a strike opening I24 having at either end thereof downwardly extending fastening lugs I26 for supporting one end of the casing II2. A round beveled opening I28 is also out in the central portion of the plate and rotatably retains therebeneath a beveled circular key disc I39 provided ith a key hole I32 therein. Rearwardly of the opening I28 there." is cut a cross-shaped opening I34 having at the ends of two of the oppositely disposed arms a pair of downwardly extending lugs I36 for securing the other end of the casing. IIZ- Casing II2 com-prises a rectangular shallow box-shaped metal stamping having. a bearing plate I38, corresponding. to the bearing plate I0 of the first embodiment, side walls I40 and I42; front wall I44 and rear wall I45; In order to support the casing I I2 onthe mounting plate III] there extends outwardly of the upper edge of the front wall I44 and parallel with the bearing plate I38 of the casing a loop member I48 through which the fastening lugs I25 are inserted and thereafter peaned over. Likewise, in order to support the rear of the casing there is provided a pair of fingers I50 extending outwardly from the upper edge of the rear wall I46 over which the fasteners I35 are bent in order to retain the fingers I50 therebeneath.

In order to prevent transverse movement of the bolt H4 in the casing II2 aportion of the rear wall I46 is cutaway to provide a pair of positioning shoulders I52 for slidably locating the rear end of the bolt therebetween and a similar opening I54 is cut in the front wall I44 of the casing having a corresponding pair of positioning shoulders I56 for slidably locating therebetween the front end of the bolt.

To properly locate the spring II6 in the easing, as will be hereinafter described, there extends upwardly from the bearing plate I38 a pair of stop lugs I58 and I60; a positioning lug I62; a notched retaining lug I64 having a notch I66 therein; and a locating lug I68. There is also cut centrally of the bottom I38 of the casing and rearwardly of the lugs I58 and I60 a small bearing opening I'I0 for pivotally supporting the outer shank of a key I12.

The bolt II4 comprises a substantially rectangular body plate I I1 having extending outwardly from its forward edge, an upset beveled latch I13 slidably located between the positioning shoulders I56 and underlying the strike opening I 24. Likewise the side edges I'I4 of the rear portion of the shoulder are slidably located between the positioning shoulders I52 of the casing. Extending outwardly from the rear edge of the bolt is an upset plate I'I6 having a hole I'I8 cut centrally therein for securing the escutcheon member II8 thereto. There is further provided centrally of the body portion of the bolt a key bearing aperture I82 cut centrally therein.

There extends downwardly from the side edges of the body plate III of the bolt, forwardly and rearwardly disposed runners I80 and I8I adapted to slidably bear upon the bearing plate I38 of the casing to provide a space therebetween in which to locate the spring II6.

Spring II6 is a substantially U-shaped spring wire member having an irregular leg I84, a straight leg I86 and a connecting head portion I88. As shown in Fig. 11 the irregular leg I84 of the spring has a large key indent I90 positioned between the stop lugs I58 and I60 and having at its outer end a positioning offset I92 engageable with the positioning lug I62 of the casing. In this position the engagement of the lug I62 with the upset I92 holds the key indent I80 in engagement with the stop I58 and the spring in the proper position to lock the bolt against retraction. Inasmuch as the straight leg of the spring is located in the notch I66 of lug I64 and engages the end I94 of one of the runners I80 only a short distance therefrom, the force necessary to apply sufficient moment to bend the spring leg I86 is so large that the bolt is virtually locked against retraction.

In order to permit retraction of the bolt, there is provided a key I12 having a lever portion 200 adapted to engage the key indent I90 when the key is inserted in the key hole I32. Rotation of the key in a clockwise direction will cause the lever to slide the spring II6 transversely of the bolt so that the indent I90 abuts the stop lug I60 and moves the upset I92 to the opposite side of the positioning lug I62. The transverse movement of the spring is sufficient to move the spring out of the path of the runner end I94. As in the previously described embodiment the bolt in this position engages only the free end of the straight leg I86 and as the leg is relatively flexible at this point as a result of the greater effective moment arm, the bolt may be retracted against the action of the spring II6.

In order to provide means for manually retracting the bolt an escutcheon H8 is slidably mounted on the outer surface of the plate IIO above the opening I34 and there extends downwardly from the escutcheon through the opening I'I8 a fastener 202, the lower end of which is fixedly attached in the opening I18. It is obvious from this construction that manual retraction of the escutcheon will retract the bolt.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claim is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

We claim as our invention:

In a luggage lock having a bearing plate and a bolt slidably mounted thereon, a pair of L shaped lugs depending from the bearing plate, a pair of fingers extending outwardly from the forward edge of said bolt slidably received and retained beneath said L shaped lugs, means for securing the rear portion of said bolt in slidable engagement with the bearing plate, a spring positioned between and resiliently engaging said plate and said bolt for constantly urging said bolt to a forward position relative to said plate, means engaging the straight leg of the spring when said spring is in one position of stability for locking the bolt against retraction, means for sliding said spring transversely of the bolt into another position of stability to disengage the locking means, and means for retracting the bolt when the locking means is disengaged. ROBERT NELSON. MERTON S. WILLIAMS. 

